***Official*** England in Pakistan

[aussie]

Our national anthem is god save the queen, right now its all about God save england

 

[Beleg]

500 up.

501-5. Not often you see this kinda stat.

Kamran Akmal playing some excellent strokes. (amidst some slogs)

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Pietersens main problem is that he looks to play his shots before getting set. Hes provided plenty of reason during this series as to why hes overrated and its not particularly surprising that his only 100 involved plenty of missed chances, much like his 158. Pietersen and Bell though look good enough to learn over time(hopefully they can learn from their shortfalls before the tour of india), but the selectors really need to keep an eye open for Vaughan and Strauss, because the team cant afford to carry 2 underperforming players in the side, along with an extremely delicate middle order

Very true. Strauss really hasnt been the same batsmen once people worked out he had a weakness to that full ball on off stump. But its something he *should* be able to work out.
Pietersen will calm down im sure (although they said that about flintoff! ). i personally believe he'll have a place in the England side for a long long time. ATM every batsmen is either new into the side (Bell / Collingwood / Pietersen) or out of form (Vaughan / Strauss / Flintoff). Really Trescothick and to a smaller extent Jones are the only ones performing. No way will you win test matches that way. We got away with it in the Ashes because at least 1 batsmen came good in each innings, but the Aussie bowling was pretty pathetic bar Warne. I still think England are the 2nd best side in the world. although India in India are probably better, but ill give it to England on their ability to win away from home too (most the time :P).

 

[irfan]

136.6 Flintoff to Kamran Akmal, two runs, full toss, on leg stump, driven
to deep midwicket for four

even the cricinfo commentators gettin tired lol

 

[ClownSymonds]

It's amazing, what's happened this innings. Yousuf has REALLY made England pay for that drop, adding just about 200 runs already. Everyone was talking about England maybe getting a lead of 30 or 40 after scoring their 288 batting first, and now Pakistan has a head of over 200 with 5 wickets still in hand. Exciting stuff, this.

 

[Beleg]

Yousaf goes trying to hit Udal out of the ground. (after doing it successfully once already)

One of his best innings in terms of temprament and run management.

 

[uziluva]

Udal should at least be grateful that Afridi isn't playing about now.

Can you imagine?

 

[ClownSymonds]

I wonder if Yousuf should've gone for 300...

 

[sqwerty]

Udal should at least be grateful that Afridi isn't playing about now.

Can you imagine?

Not much joy though with the big fella returning now looking for quick runs

 

[Beleg]

Heh, yes. Neither Afridi nor Razzaq are playing. And Inzy has an injured wrist... Not much in the way of hitting power for Pakistan at the moment.

 

[viktor]

Udal should at least be grateful that Afridi isn't playing about now.

Can you imagine?

bad enough u see inzy striding (more like, wandering) to the crease at the fall of the 6th wicket...

 

[sqwerty]

Substitute fielder on:

141.6 Harmison to Kamran Akmal, no run, another short, goes back and
defends it to Gollingwood in the gully

 

[ClownSymonds]

Congratulations to Inzamam-ul-Haq on reaching 8,000 Test runs.

 

[ClownSymonds]

Kamran Akmal throws his wicket away as well, but not before reaching 154. Great innings. And what do you know... in comes the man himself, RANA!

I'm not quite sure why Yousuf and Kamran were in such a rush...

 

[sqwerty]

Disappointing to see Udal robbed of his century but at least Plunkett has made one on debut

 

[tooextracool]

ATM every batsmen is either new into the side (Bell / Collingwood / Pietersen) or out of form (Vaughan / Strauss / Flintoff). Really Trescothick and to a smaller extent Jones are the only ones performing. No way will you win test matches that way. We got away with it in the Ashes because at least 1 batsmen came good in each innings, but the Aussie bowling was pretty pathetic bar Warne.

i dont know how long people are going to assume that vaughan is out of form, because you cant be out of form for 2.5 years. As far as this series is concerned, England blew their chance in the first game. pakistan have only grown in confidence since that victory, and most of their players have only raised their game since then.

 

[tooextracool]

In this day and age, a team chasing 200 should always win a Test on any respectable wicket.

england stuttered a lot before that though. when they had the chance to put pakistan away in their first innings, they collapsed and that was despite some very poor bowling from pakistan in the first innings.

 

[ClownSymonds]

Don't declare, Inzi... Get your 1,000 runs in a year and your third consecutive century...

 

[tooextracool]

I think thats totally wrong.

Australia have shown that aggression works, and to a similar (but not quite there yet) extent so have England over the last 2 years. So we're going to lose a series to Pakistan in Pakistan, its hardly the end of the world considering even the greatest of England sides struggled there in the past.

I'll dare say Pakistan will struggle as much if not more when they tour England next year.

england made an extremely bold and inane move to drop thorpe before the Ashes. They got away with it for reasons already mentioned but because they did, it does not make it the right move. the reason why england won the series in pakistan last time around was because they matched pakistans batting inning for inning, and continually put up big scores while waiting for them to eventually make the mistake. This time they tried to dominate them from ball 1, which was never going to work,and its not going to work in india either.
And off topic it maybe, but whether you like craig white or you dont, you start to realise how much his worth as an all rounder at number 7 was last time around.

 

[Beleg]

Very few people posting here today.